Manchester United are set to make a bid for Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele in the upcoming transfer window, as reported by Fichajes.

What's the latest on Dembele?

It is understood that Barcelona may need to offload players this summer due to the financial issues that the club are currently facing.

Dembele could be one squad member shown the exit door, and United are believed to be considering making a €50m (£43.4m) offer to try to bring the attacker over to the Premier League.

We Will Not Stop: Man United fan sends a message to the Glazers on The Football Terrace...

How has he fared at Barcelona this season?

The 23-year-old has featured in 25 La Liga matches this term, scoring five goals and providing two assists in these games (via WhoScored).

He has completed 53 successful dribbles in Spain's top-flight - only Marcus Rashford (80) has managed more for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side.

Dembele's tally of 32 key passes has only been bettered by three United players as well.

Is he a cheaper option than Jadon Sancho?

Manchester United were heavily linked with Jadon Sancho last summer, but failed to land the forward after refusing to match Borussia Dortmund's asking price of £108m. 

It has been reported by Bild via TEAMtalk that Sancho's price-tag has been cut to £88m due to the ongoing global crisis. This could tempt United back into the market for the England international.

However, in Dembele, they have a far cheaper option who could be available in the coming months. If United can negotiate a deal worth €50m, they would be signing a player for half the price of Sancho, who is only two years older and has already lifted a World Cup with France back in 2018. 

Would choosing Dembele over Sancho be a smart move for United?

It could well be.

United have been linked with some big-name players recently, including Erling Haaland and Declan Rice. They do not have an unlimited budget, though, and will need to weigh up exactly how much they can spend in order to land their key targets.

If United were to go after Dembele rather than Sancho, they may save themselves in excess of £40m, which could free up more funds to spend on trying to lure Haaland and Rice to Old Trafford.

By signing Sancho, Solskjaer could have his preferred option for one position, but he may not have enough money to strengthen other areas of the team. Meanwhile, opting for Dembele could allow United to improve their squad in several positions, making them a more formidable outfit across the pitch next season.